13 Episodes
Short on time? Here's the essentials:
Humanity's last survivors flee a devastating Cylon attack, their fleet constantly pursued. Commander Adama, a seasoned military leader, commands the aging warship Galactica, determined to protect President Roslin and the remaining humans. Their goal is simple: survive.
The fleet faces constant threats, from Cylon ambushes to internal crises like sabotage that cripples their water supply. Key turning points include the deaths of several Viper pilots during a training exercise, and Starbuck's subsequent crash landing and daring escape. Suspicion of Cylon infiltration runs rampant, leading to paranoia and accusations, such as when Shelly Godfrey falsely implicates Baltar. A shocking revelation occurs when Leoben whispers to Roslin that Adama is a Cylon, leading to Adama's ejection into space. The season culminates with the discovery of Kobol, humanity's mythical birthplace, and a military coup by Adama against President Roslin.
Season 1 of Battlestar Galactica covers episodes 1-13. Here's everything that happened:
Season 1, Episode 1: 33 - The Galactica fleet, pursued relentlessly by Cylons, must FTL jump every 33 minutes to survive. Sleep deprivation takes a heavy toll. The Olympic Carrier reappears three hours after a jump, but Adama, suspecting Cylon infiltration, orders its destruction. The episode concludes with the birth of a child, adding one to the survivor count.
Season 1, Episode 2: Water - Boomer awakens disoriented with explosives. The fleet faces a water crisis after sabotage destroys Galactica's water tanks. Boomer locates a new water source, unaware her Cylon programming nearly detonated explosives on her Raptor. Tyrol vows to protect her. Baltar avoids a Cylon detection test. The fleet faces severe water rationing.
Season 1, Episode 3: Bastille Day - Following water sabotage, Galactica needs manpower to mine ice. Apollo proposes using Astral Queen prisoners, offering freedom points. Tom Zarek, a political agitator, rejects the offer and orchestrates a prison break, taking hostages. A prisoner attempts to rape Cally, but she bites off part of his ear. Adama gives Zarek a choice: mine water or die. Zarek complies to avoid death, securing elections.
Season 1, Episode 4: Act of Contrition - A celebratory accident aboard Galactica results in the deaths of several Viper pilots. Starbuck is tasked with training new recruits, forcing her to confront her guilt over Zak Adama's death. She confesses to Commander Adama that she passed Zak despite his failures. During a training flight, Cylons attack, and Starbuck plummets to a planet after engaging them.
Season 1, Episode 5: You Can't Go Home Again - Following a dogfight, Starbuck is stranded on a desolate moon and manages to repair a downed Cylon Raider. Adama and Apollo risk the fleet's safety to find her, facing criticism from Roslin and Tigh. Starbuck returns in the Raider, and is almost shot down before being recognized.
Season 1, Episode 6: Litmus - A copy of Doral commits suicide bombing, prompting an inquiry into Cylon infiltration. Sergeant Hadrian leads the investigation, focusing on Tyrol's relationship with Boomer. The inquiry turns into a witch hunt, leading Adama to shut it down. Socinus is confined to the brig for lying. Tyrol breaks up with Boomer.
Season 1, Episode 7: Six Degrees of Separation - Shelly Godfrey, a woman appearing as Number Six, accuses Baltar of aiding the Cylons with a photograph. Baltar scrambles to clear his name, suspecting a Cylon plot. Adama investigates Godfrey, and Gaeta discovers the photo is a fake. Godfrey vanishes without a trace. On Caprica, Helo and Sharon share a moment, revealing Sharon's Cylon nature with a glowing spine.
Season 1, Episode 8: Flesh and Bone - Starbuck interrogates a captured Leoben Conoy copy, suspecting a hidden nuke. Leoben psychologically manipulates her, claiming humans will find Kobol and she will deliver his soul to God. Baltar discovers Sharon (Boomer) is a Cylon but covers it up. Leoben whispers to Roslin that Adama is a Cylon, leading Roslin to have him ejected into space.
Season 1, Episode 9: Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down - Roslin suspects Adama is a Cylon, fueled by a previous interrogation. Adama retrieves Tigh's presumed-dead wife, Ellen, shocking everyone. Ellen's sudden reappearance and flirtatious behavior raise suspicions. Baltar, pressured to test Ellen, declares her human but admits to Six he'll fake all future results. A Cylon Raider attacks, but is destroyed.
Season 1, Episode 10: The Hand of God - With fuel dwindling, the Galactica discovers a tylium-rich asteroid controlled by Cylons. Starbuck crafts a risky plan, but Adama prevents her from flying due to her injury. Apollo leads the Viper squadron, destroying the Cylon base. Baltar believes God guided him to identify the target, declaring himself an instrument of God. The fleet secures enough fuel for years.
Season 1, Episode 11: Colonial Day - On Colonial Day, President Roslin forms a new Quorum of Twelve. Tom Zarek is nominated as VP, leading to political maneuvering. An assassin, Valance, plots against Roslin but is apprehended and later dies. Roslin then backs Baltar, who wins the Vice Presidency. On Caprica, Helo realizes Sharon is a Cylon and flees.
Season 1, Episode 12: Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part 1 - The fleet discovers Kobol, the mythical birthplace of humanity. A Raptor survey team is attacked, and a Raptor crashes, stranding several crew members. Roslin reveals to Starbuck that Adama lied about knowing the location of Earth and asks her to retrieve the Arrow of Apollo from Caprica. Starbuck disobeys orders and jumps to Caprica.
Season 1, Episode 13: Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part 2 - Commander Adama stages a military coup against President Roslin, arresting her for insubordination. On Caprica, Starbuck retrieves the Arrow of Apollo after a brutal fight, while Helo learns that Caprica-Sharon is pregnant. Galactica-Sharon destroys a Cylon basestar, confirming her Cylon nature. The episode concludes with Galactica-Sharon returning to the Galactica and shooting Commander Adama twice, leaving him critically wounded.
